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Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 23% of interviews, indicating it is highly regarded. They found the interview very impressive with a low stress level and felt they did well.
Higher scores indicate a smoother, more positive interview experience with professional staff, organized logistics, and a supportive environment.
Based on 417 responses
Score Reference:
9–10 Exceptional8–8.9 Very Good7–7.9 Good6–6.9 Mixed< 6 Needs Improvement
The SDN Interview Experience Score (SIES) is a composite metric that represents applicants overall impressions of their interview experience, based on multiple factors such as professionalism, facilities, responsiveness, and stress levels.
How do you rank the facilities?
Most respondents rank the facilities as above average.
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
Most respondents rank this school above all other schools.
How do you rank this school among other schools to which you've applied?
Most respondents rank this school above other schools they applied to.
0 = Below, 10 = Above
What is your ranking of this school's location?
Most respondents rate the school location as average.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was friendly.
What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?
Most respondents rate the area’s cultural life as average.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was responsive.
💬 Interview Questions ▼
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
The most commonly asked interview questions at medical schools include inquiries about the candidate's motivation for pursuing dentistry, their interest in the specific school like Rutgers or UMDNJ, qualities of a good dentist, study habits, academic stress management, and their background such as shadowing experiences or extracurricular activities. Some respondents mentioned being asked about their DAT scores, interest in dentistry over medicine, and reasons for choosing dentistry as a career path.
Additionally, several responses indicated that the interviews were in an MMI format, with questions on personal background, motivations for dentistry, study habits, extracurricular activities, and reasons for choosing the particular school. Respondents may have been subject to a nondisclosure agreement during these interviews as well.
tell me about urself and why you came to choose dentistry, but he cut me off and didn't let me finish
they asked questions like how do you like ur university, why umdnj, why dentistry, where else did u apply, basic stuff. i answered all honestly including where i applied, i think they appreciate that, especially Dr. Wexler...and they knowwhen ur tryin to hide info. saying you interviewed at some other competitive schools shouldnt hurt your chances unless u say u want to go to them over umdnj which wouldn't be the best response.
Students said most interesting question asked at Rutgers School of Dental Medicine discussed a variety of topics related to their backgrounds, experiences, and motivations, with a mix of basic questions such as why they chose dentistry, specific questions about hobbies or travel experiences, and some personal connections like discussing family members or past jobs. It appears that the interview format may have been an MMI (Multiple Mini Interview) based on responses, which could explain the range of questions asked and the limited disclosure due to potential nondisclosure agreements.
what is one thing that made you interested in something else?
Students said the most difficult question asked at Rutgers School of Dental Medicine discussed a wide range of topics, including past experiences shaping their current selves, reasons for choosing dentistry over medicine, explaining low grades or DAT scores, and justifying choices in academic performance and extracurricular activities. Some respondents mentioned an MMI format or nondisclosure agreements, implying a structured interview process with standardized questions and potential confidentiality constraints.
he just kept like cutting off my answer. he barely asked me any questions it was very conversational but idk how I did.
None really. Even the questions weren't really "questions"-- the interview just flowed like a regular conversation. In fact, I'm having trouble thinking of specific questions my interviewer asked because I only remember the conversation as a whole, not as discrete time chunks.
Most respondents had an interview of 20 - 30 minutes.
How did the interview impress you?
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
How many people interviewed you?
Most respondents were interviewed by 1 person.
What was the stress level of the interview?
Most respondents rated their interview as low stress.
How you think you did?
Most respondents thought they performed well at the interview.
What was the style of the interview?
Most respondents had a one-on-one interview.
What type of interview was it?
Most respondents had an open file interview.
Was this interview in-person or virtual?
Most respondents had a virtual interview.
Data includes both pre- and post-COVID interviews.
Where did the interview take place?
Most respondents were interviewed at the school.
How did you prepare for the interview?
Most applicants prepared for the interview by utilizing resources such as Student Doctor Network (SDN), mock interviews, reading their applications, and researching the school's website. They also practiced answers to common questions and focused on articulating their motivations for pursuing dentistry and attending the specific school.
SDN, read my AADSAS file. Came up with a good "why dentistry?" answer. Answered hypothetical questions and talked to myself a lot while driving my car.
Read the feedback on this website, practiced questions and answers with other people, did online research on the school, and reread my application and essay.
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed by the friendly and welcoming staff, faculty, and students at the school. They found the facilities to be new, up-to-date, and aesthetically pleasing, with a strong emphasis on clinical education, research opportunities, and community outreach. The interview experiences were highlighted as positive, described as conversational, relaxed, and informative, contributing to an overall positive impression of the school.
Staff, faculty, and students were very nice and friendly. Interview experience was great.
My interviewer was very kind and made me feel comfortable. He really just wanted to have a conversation to get to know me as a person. I was extremely impressed that he took the time to go to my website and look at my art portfolio. Very positive impression overall.
The staff was just so lively and welcoming, they really emphasized how much of a family they are at Rutgers. My interview experience was great. It felt so much like a conversation I would have with one of my friends rather than an intense interview like I had imagined it would be.
Instate tuition after the first year for OOS students, seemed like they encourage research during the summer. Clinics looks very nice with a lot of natural light.
I love UMDNJ! Because I thought, "ew, Newark," I came into the interview with a very biased opinion- I honestly thought I was going to hate it. But I was so impressed by the school itself, and by the incredibly friendly people there. The environment is not bad at all: yes, it's in Newark, but the campus takes up a good portion of the city and I really liked that as a dental student, I could be part of a huge sector of healthcare. The dorms are right across the stree from the dental school. I liked that the class sizes were moderate (around 90). Dental students also don't have to take classes with med students at all, which means smaller lecture sizes. The entire faculty (or at least, the ones we met) was so funny and warm, and I was so impressed by my interviewer-- he knew my file up and down, and seemed to really want me to come to the school. AND, I love the court yard. There were dental students playing frisbee in the middle of the day too as we were taking our tour (our tour guide joked that the school had paid them to do that at that precise moment).
The students there are super friendly. The staff also seems super helpful. The clinic is beautiful and new. The classrooms are new and technologically advanced. They also have great security.
The amount of required clinic work - I think it's great to have all of that experience before you graduate. The students said they never have to go looking for patients because the patient pool is so large. Lots of exposure to all areas of dentistry. Always guaranteed to have a chair when you need to work in the clinic. New clinic is beautiful, lots of windows :) Apartments (dorms) right next to the school are nice. The school will offer you tutoring for free if you fail an exam. They seem to really care about each and every one of their students' success. 100% of students who apply to general practice residencies get in. LOW student-faculty ratio, 7-1 (all 4 years), 4-1 during endo (they teach rotary RCT).
ALL the faculty is super super nice. There seems to be great student-faculty relationships. All the student seem very happy but admit that the first 2 years are a nightmare no matter where you go. The also are extremely focused on clinics. There motto is that they want you to be able to go and practice as soon as you graduate. They are a ''hold you hands to the end'' type of school and want you to do well.
the relaationship between the students and the faculty... how nice the students were to each other... the amount of patients in the clinic... the strong clinical focus.
The super friendly faculty and the great student-faculty relationship everyone seems to have. The apartment dorm is right across the quad and pretty nice. Strong emphasis on clinical education and how almost everyone passes the NERB and gets into post-grad (mostly GPR) programs.
Everyone's so approachable. Very friendly.; They're building more parking spaces for commuters - should be ready by fall 2006; Campus dorms should (hopefully) be ready for fall of 2006; new facility.
The staff was very friendly and funny and made me feel welcomed. They act like they really want you to attend their school. Also, my interviewer introduced me to some dental students and she treated them like colleagues not students.
The faculty was very fun-loving, and an approachable bunch. We were asked to interview as we stepped into the Dental School so that we could get the most anticipated part over with (Which I thought was very considerate, as the info sessions were that much more enjoyable afterwards). My interviewer was very kind and courteous and did not ask any questions in a condescending tone at all (unlike the ones from other schools). The tour was nice, they have a brand new wing recently added, and the facilities are VERY NICE! Great school for clinical. They also prepare you for your boards by giving you "decks" that you have to memorize for the exams. Students were enthusiastic to be there and were very helpful. Very nice school overall.
The faculty, administration, and students seemed genuinely happy, and the faculty seemed to have a sincere interest in the performance and welfare of the students.
New facilities--admin & professors are reasonably nice. Interview was extremely relaxed--a nice conversation with a professor of prosthodontics about my record.
Almost everything...very strong and solid clincal training, very warm and supportive community of students and faculty, gorgeous brand-new clinical building, and the current dental students were really enthusiastic and proud to be there.
Clinics are so brand spankin' new they even smell new! Students were quite confident in their clinical skills. Faculty appeared to take a interest in the students' success. Easy to establish NJ residency. Lunch was quite tasty.
The NEW building that will be open this summer will facilitate the increase number of patient pool in the area. Facilities are modern and clean. The atmosphere is very relax and students jokes with each other.
The whole day was very organized and structured. The admissions staff was very friendly. The new building is going to be fantastic. The students were very happy.
Applicants commonly expressed negative impressions about the school's location in Newark, citing safety concerns and a lack of appealing surroundings. Additionally, concerns were raised about the older facilities, unenthusiastic interviewers, and the behavior of some current students, which left a negative impact on the overall experience. Suggestions included addressing safety issues, improving facilities, enhancing the interview process, and fostering a more positive and inclusive student culture.
presentation was weird. they kept emphasizing like comparing them to other schools in terms of money, criticizing pass/fail schools. kind of weird vibes. idk.
The students.. very arrogant (at least the ones that came in to have lunch with us).. and most of them are older? like in the 30s.. which i thought was odd.
The food! Not good.
In actuality, it wasn't that bad. Just bland. If you keep kosher, you may want to bring your own lunch, because they provide you with a mystery sandwich that doesn't look too appetizing.
Newark is scary/dangerous at night, but I was already aware of that. Older clinics need to be refurbished, but were still adequate and functional. Not a lot to do in the immediate area, but at least it's close to NYC.
The students don't seem to do anything cultural with their time... When I asked them if there were things to do in Newark, they started talking about the bars in Morristown. They also have a dress code where each class is color coded. Not such a huge deal, but still kind of weird. There is no library dedicated to just dental books; it's all in a huge biomedical library.
My interviewer made me uneasy although I was initially relaxed. He wasn't enthusiastic about interviewing me. The interview was very short and I had little time to sell myself. A highly political school with state concerns of funding. The student body was a composition of a certain background that did not seem inclined to cultural diversity although the school initially gave me that impression.
The location of the school. Newark is kind of a bad area, but I don't think that would stop me from attending this school. I also visited other parts of NJ and they were beautiful, I wouldn't mind living there.
The location (as you might have guessed). According to current students, the surrounding area, Parking lots , etc. can get very unsafe at nights, meaning anytime after 6:00 PM, which I am definitely not used to, coming from an undergraduate school where most ppl study in public libraries till 2 or 3 in the morn and then leave to go home. Quite unsafe for women especially.
I did NOT like the neighborhood at all... especially downtown Newark. I realized that driving will be an absolute necessity if I do attend this school.
First, the school was suprised that so many applicants showed up to their interview (17), so they had to double up on the interviewers. I was among the last to be interviewed, so my interview time was limited to 15 min to sell myself.
Next, negative, whining, bitchy, lecturing dental students (2nd, 3rd & 4th years) during lunch. Became apparent that they didn't quite know what they were getting themselves before they got into the program regarding the dental business. I thought it might have been just one or two students, but when the whole group was either griping or being useless gossiping in a corner while blowing up balloons to prep for the dental prom, it really turned me off. I know that dental school can be an intense & stressful experience at some points, but I don't want to associate with a group of people cannot be positive nor handle stress professionally.
Also, when asked direct questions regarding # of patients seen per year in the clinics & the active number of patient files, Dr.Weschler & Dr. Conte were not forthwright with the numbers, which leads me to believe that they had something to hide.
3rd year students who accompanied us at lunch came solely for the free meal, not to be of any constructive service. The only exception was a guy named Tal. He took the opportunity seriously and fielded our questions. The others were distraction and embarrassed themselves.
Just the fact that the school is located in Newark; but at the same time its kind of a double-edged sword, because this location provides the students with such an abundance of patients and they are exposed to some amazing clinical cases.
The streets in Newark are like spaghetti! As far as the school though, I was impressed by pretty much everything, although still not looking forward to gross anatomy.
Applicants commonly wished they had known ahead of time that the interviews would be very relaxed and stress-free, and that there was no need to be nervous or over-prepare. Suggestions included arriving early to secure speaking time with current students, being aware of parking challenges, and taking note of the laid-back nature of the interview process.
Do not stress about the interview. Be yourself and don't be nervous!
That you would only be given to speak with the D1/2/3 students if you showed up early. I came in ~15 minutes before the time I was supposed to (9:00am). Not only was I called for my interview at around 8:56, but there weren't any seats available at the main table when I got there.
That it'd take me 20 minutes to figure out where the dental building actually was, and then another 20 minutes to figure out where the parking lot was. Oy vey.
Students get great clinical experience. You start the basic clinic in the middle of the second year. Students are very confident of their skills. There is a evening practice in which dental students can get their dental treatments for FREE (from cleaning to ortho).
I should have had coffee mid-way through the day because I was burnt out around 11am (I got up at 5:15am to get there on time)... there was so much to take in at once!
NJ is full of expressways. I drove to the hotel I stayed at and was lost for about 30 min. There's a lot of traffic in Newark and I wish I would have allowed myself more time to reach the school.
Nothing. That the interview was very relaxed and went very well was a pleasant surprise to me, for I had prepared for the interview as if I was going to cross-examined. So for those reading this, sorry to ruin the surprise but it is going to be quite chilled out. (Not to say you shouldnt do all the prep work you think u need to)
The interview was so lay back, and I should have enough sleep the night before. I definitely did not realize that I might be competing for the backup list until that day.
Several buildings are being built on campus (ie. a dorm with a parking garage below it) so plan your time accordingly to navigate the campus. Parking is difficult due to the lack of spaces, but a new garage is currently being built
How warm and inviting the school atmosphere would be. And, I prepared for every interview question under the sun only to face none of them. It was very informal and, consequently, honest.
That the individual interviews were done first before the information sessions. They were still just pulling some people out for their interviews when I arrived, so I shouldn't have stressed after getting lost and being 15 minutes late.
Applicants generally found the interview process at UMDNJ to be relaxed, conversational, and informative, with interviewers emphasizing a good fit rather than trying to trick candidates. Feedback highlighted the welcoming environment, friendly faculty and students, strong clinical training, and emphasis on the importance of asking questions and being yourself during the interview.
I get really bad stomach pains when I'm nervous, and BOY was I nervous. There is no need to be nervous. When I got there, it was all the interviewees sitting in a conference room eating breakfast and talking with 4th year dental students. It was incredibly relaxed, and everyone was so nice and eager to help you out. Around 9am, the interviewers (usually professors) come and call your name while everyone talks and waits to be called. I went with the professor to a large room with some tables, and we just sat down and talked for around 30 mins. He even let me keep drinking my tea since I had just gotten it when he called me.
Basically, just relax, it's not bad at all. There was no set list of questions he was reading from, he apparently wrote some comments from my application and used them as talking points. Make sure to address any strong points of yours if they don't ask you directly. There were a lot of opportunities where we could have ended the interview if I didn't start talking about something else. Chiiiiill, you're going to do great!
AMAZING school, interview was really laid back and very low-stress. Do not worry about it. Just know some basic answers and try to connect with your interviewer. Facilities are awesome-brand new classrooms and clinics...they still use some old classrooms in the medical school building and the old clinics-but they didn't seem "old" to me. First 2 years are very tough-no free time but thats at any dental school, years 3 and 4 more time and laid back. Research, community service opportunities available-awesome school
It was pure conversational. From the beginning I asked him many questions about his life as a dentist and about UMDNJ. He ended up only asking me one question about my DAT score.
Like others here have said, I stressed out more than I ought to have. 16 interviewees total there the day I went. Each had their own interviewer (no doubling up). I felt the interview at NJDS was a very enjoyable experience. They taught us a lot about the school and gave us a short tour. I am very impressed with the school as a whole. We had lunch with the students, and they overall seemed pleased with their education and stressed that they feel the necessary clinical requirements for graduation are an excellent way to prepare you for the real world. They said the first two years are hell but that goes for any school. My one-on-one was relatively laid back, and was mostly a conversation about NJDS and the perks of dentistry. The interviewer gave me a lot of information about what makes NJDS different from other d-schools. Some interviews lasted 15 minutes, others like mine lasted 50. I was totally sold on the school :)
If you want to gain a solid clinical skill, UMDNJ is the place to go. Students are very happy about their choice and everyone feels confortable working with patients. You'll have your own unit and your own patients in junior and senior year. I heared from a second year student that the school is also going to build a resident hall in the near future (2005-2006). Anyway, great school to learn about dentistry.
The school was just like what I had expected. What I heard and what I read from were all true.
The interviewer didn't ask me many questions. I ended up asking him a lot of questions and that's how I got him to talk.
It was really fantastic. My interview was extremely relaxed like a back and forth conversation. Asked me basic questions and then he just talked to me for the rest of it trying to sell the school and talk about how great his band was (I play bass guitar and he wanted me to join the faculty student band). All in all, very chill. I stressed out way more that I needed to.
actually enjoyed the day, even though i was nervous because it was my first interview. good facilities. bad area; however, the bad area brings in a ton of patients. the people at the school were very nice. overall, very good experience and could see myself attending if given the opportunity.
The admissions committee kept emphasizing the fact that the interview was for finding a good reciprocal fit, and not to trick us or anything. They were really honest and open about their school. The theme of the day was "ask us questions; be an informed consumer." I really enjoyed my time taking to my interviewer because he was incredibly enthusiastic. He showed me around after talking in his office for about 30 mins, which helped me come up with questions about the school. I also tried to interject things about my character/values after he described parts of the school to convince him I would be a good fit for them.
Awesome school, clinic, faculty, and students. These people love what they do and it makes you want to be a part of the experience of learning from them. Answered all my questions sincerely and informatively. Really perfect experience.
I had a very positive experience. My interviewer asked basic questions about my research, why i chose dentistry as opposed to medical school, where i was from etc. to spark up conversations. She shared alot about the school and also answered questions i had for her. We even talked about spa places... haha. Just be honest and don't be nervous!!!
I had two of my friends already in UMDNJ so I expected the whole turn out on the interview day. Getting to the school wasn't that bad... I had about 5 minute traffic jam on route 280. Campus is clean and impressive. I got accepted to buffalo, stonybrook, NYU, and Temple.... but by far, this is my first choice!!! Newark is very close to NYC, Trenton, Philly, and Atlantic City... I would consider this school is located very nicely to big cities.
Very stress free, we walked around the building talking and her giving a mini tour of the building and introducing me to staff/students. Then we went to her office for 10-15 min.
Very basic interview format. We came in, first thing we did was break out into our individual interviews. interviews went very well, my professor even went so far as to give me a one on one brief tour the the facilities. we came back, and spoke to the dean and vice dean...all great and fun people. we had our tour...our FA orientation..and then lunch with the students.
The interview was light-hearted. I knew the interviewer indirectly. We belong to the same syndicate of dentists/dental asst. of Hudson County, NJ.
There is no stress during interview even if you don't know anyone in the school. They are very friendly with students and try to ease their nervousness. A lot of time spent in talking and discussing different options as a dental student, than asking-answering questions.
The experience was phenomenal, i'm in state and kind of overlooked umdnj at first. i'm so glad i applied as i really found out how amazing of a school it is. Dr. Wexler ran the show and interviewed me and was absolutely hilarious and so welcoming of questions.
him: i have your file, so no questions that i can get answer from there
me: great
him: q about general stuff, life, etc, school
me: answers to q;s
him: any q for me
me: q's
The interviewer was very nice and the interview was more like an interesting converstaion. Nothing stressful and he gave me a lot of positive comments after he read over my file. I guess overall it went so well.
Overall the faculty and facility were great. I can see the school is a "we hold your hand until the end" school. Everything was great until the last event, lunch with dental students. I felt they were arrogant (one said he never heard of dentsim and that it's completely unneccesary, he said all you need is hand skills...) and one actually made fun of an interviewee. I felt i was talking to a bunch of elementary school kids.
My interviewer was very nice. She made me feel very comfortable from the moment we met and this put an ease to my stress. She really cared about my goals and provided me with a lot of information about the school and what they can offer. Also, I could tell she paid a lot of attention to my application because she mentioned many little details about me and she didn't have my file in front of her.
I got there at 8:45 am and was directed to the conference room where all the candidates had gathered. Breakfast was served, but given that we were to interview soon, no one ate too much lol. They also let you bring along either a family member or a close friend, whoever you feel might want to come to this sesison with you, so I thought that it was very nice of them to extend this offer. Once I got to the conference room, I chatted a bit with the other candidates and took a seat in one of the plush leather chairs they had there. At the stroke of 9, one by one, the interviewers came in and started taking ppl for their interviews. Mine was one of the first ones, so I was a bit nervous. NO NEED TO BE. The faculty were chilled out to the max, and do not usually put ppl on the spot. After the interview, there was a presentation by the Director of Admissions (Great guy, we talked about golf during our snack break), an endodontist, and another Faculty Member. This was followed by a tour by the faculty member from the Presentation. It was a nice informative tour which lasted about an hour or so. Then it was Lunch/schmooze with current dental students WITHOUT any faculty members present in the room. Then, we were given a tour by the students, (just as a side-note, warn your parents before you are lead into the room with the dead bodies by the Students! yipes was that crazy!) After this, a short tour of the library and thats it, you exit!
I applied to the 7 year accelerated dental program in affliation with Fairleigh Dickinson University. The doctors were really nice because they knew that it would be stressful for a 17 year old to have a dental school interview.
I had a very relaxing time there, and all the staffs were really trying to impress you. I did not feel stressed the whole day, and the interview was so lay back. Juz be yourself and have a good time. GOOD LUCK!!!
6:1 student-to-teacher ratio. Was emphasized that students take 40 credits/semester--so do not work during school. Tiered group practice of 30 students in your 3rd & 4th year. Patients are sorted so the more difficult/ medically-compromised patients are seen by the residents. Average 12 patients per student. Top 5 dental school in NERB, top 25% National boards. Mock boards & Kaplan prep available. 80% apply to residencies--100% get in, 90% get first choice--noted students said that they did not get enough experience during clinicals, so needed to beef up during the residency. Residency programs at UMDNJ are competitive--avg. 4/125 applicants--UMDNJ dental students do not have any priority nor advantage in entering the residency programs--must compete with top 10 students from other schools. Tutoring is only available for free if ID'd as having difficulty & need remediation. No shared classes with med students. No dentsims.
Nice, easy interview. The questions weren't difficult and the staff bent over backwards to be nice and funny. Overall, I was very impressed with the people (students and faculty) but less so with the facilities.
I really liked the fact that we got the interviews overwith at the very beginning of the day. My interviewer was such a nice guy and made me feel completely relaxed. He pretty much just let me ask questions the whole time. The powerpoint presentation given about the school was really thorough, as was the financial aid presentation. We had two tours...one buy a faculty member, and then the students showed took us on another tour. All the students were really helpful and honest. Everyone did a great job of making us (the interviewees) feel extremely welcome.
The whole day was great. I ended up recieving three tours, I by my interviewer, I by another faculty and one by a student. Everyone was very nice. They wanted my to feel comfortable and ask questions.
The first thing you do is get interviewed once you get there. I think that helped put me to ease. Once the interviews were over, we all started going over to the table with breakfast on it:) The admissions faculty members wre very friendly, and stressed that we they wanted us to interview them to make sure we really would like the school. They make a solid case why I should want to go there.
Great school..I would definitely come. Faculty and students are very helpful. Student acutally work together on assignments and problems. You will get to expose on a wide spectrum of dental cases during your junior and senior year. So the graduate are well prepared to serve their patients (That's why UMDNJ has a high placement rate in speciaties). In addition, student start clinical program at an early year. Newark area is really changing in effort to support the campus expansion. Beside the new dental building, UMDNJ is adding a huge state-art biomedical research facility and an emergency building on the campus. Security is very tight and students do feel safe about the school and the area. Students are very please with the school and all the graduates are doing well. I highly recommend UMDNJ for students who are looking for a strong clinical program and a earn solid foundation to be a successful dentist.
UMDNJ is one of the best school in the country if you want to gian a strong clinical experience. There is no worry about the patient pool. In fact, the school will provide them to you. UMDNJ has an impressive 4 to 1 ratio of students to faculty during your clinical curriculum. Every students were very nice to us. The school is very student oriented. I found out that students can voice out their concern and the school actually tried to resolve them. Anyway, during the tour students and faculties greeded us. The new building will comprise state-of-art simulation stations, new lecture halls and one huge student lounge. If you want to gain lots of hands on experience, this is the place to be.
The interview was very informal and I was put right at ease by the interviewer. Overall, a positive experience. I think as long as you come prepared to answer some basic questions based on your application, you will be ok. The interview is just a way for them to get a feel for you and they don't try to put you on the spot with difficult questions.
I love NJ dental school. It was a very large, beautiful and advanced school. The students were very nice to all of us and willing to share their experiences openly. Plus, lunch was very very nice...and that never hurts, right?..^^
This interview was stressful no doubt about it. I was prepaired because of what I had heard though so it was not too too bad. To prepare I looked over my application and thought of every possible bad thing they could say about me or ask me about and I tried to think of how I would handle it. Since I had thought of the absolute worst possible things they could say already,it seemed what they actually asked me about was cake. Also it would be a good idea to ask about how they handle patients. UMDNJ takes pride in the fact that they provide you with patients (all 4 years) and even schedule them for you (first 3 years). Also think of other insightly questions and dont be afraid to be honest.
my opinion was changed positively upon meeting Dr. McDermott, who I met in the parking lot, and actually who interviewed me later. I was taken on a mini tour by her, and shown everything, which was good, since some of the things students did not talk about she explained well. Everybody is friendly and polite - seems like a good dental community environment, warm interactions.
Having the interview when you first arrive was great! I was a little nervous, but they make you feel so comfortable that the interview felt more like a casual conversation.
I was pleasantly surprised by the school on the whole, and left with the impression that it could be more than just my safety school.
However, I was kind of nervous since my interviewer barely said ANYTHING besides exactly what I wrote for the Interview Questions and let me just ramble on for each question without interjecting or actually turning the interview into a conversation.
I am suprise by the quality and the caliber of students that UMDNJ produces. Students were sharp and to the point. One of the student told us the NJ Dental school recruites top faculties from throughout the country and abroad. The e-curriculum is definitely a plus. My interviewer told me that UMDNJ is trying to open its admission process a diverse applicant from different part of the country. During the visit at NJ Dental, there were students from Maryland, Pennsylvania, California and Florida. I guess the school is trying to get its name out. There is no doudbt that UMDNJ is on TOP of my list. In fact, I am very please with the school and its quality in pre-doctoral training. In addition, student graduate from the school got really nice residency. 90% of the student got their first choice. After spending a day at NJ dental school, I know this is definitely the school for me.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants commonly suggest offering scholarships, improving organization and cleanliness during interviews, serving lunch instead of breakfast, providing water at meals, and conducting tours before interviews for better engagement and information.
The interviewer was extremely unorganized, her office was extremely dirty and full of clutter. She was unfamiliar with my file and didn't ask me any questions.
